Dive Brief:
- The newly formed Iowa Alliance for Responsible Agriculture has demanded "an immediate statewide moratorium on new construction or expansion of large-scale livestock feeding operations until Iowa takes meaningful action to lower the number of impaired rivers, lakes and waterways to fewer than 100," The Gazette reported.
- Leaders of the alliance say that commercial feeding operations with more than 1,250 animals are driving the state's water quality and public health to a "crisis point," according to a letter delivered to Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad.
- The governor "is not interested in extreme proposals that would harm agriculture and our economy in Iowa, which is exactly what a moratorium would do," Branstad spokesman Ben Hammes said in a statement.
Dive Insight:
Sustainability and clean ingredients are becoming more critical to both consumers and manufacturers, but that all starts at the beginning of the supply chain with farmers. Without clean farming, manufacturers can't ensure their products are made with ingredients consumers will deem to be "clean" or "natural." Manufacturers could risk litigation if they make claims without the assurance that they're aware of how their suppliers and farmers conduct their operations.
That's why whole chain traceability is becoming increasingly important to the industry. Traceability, and knowing the sources of ingredients and their path across the supply chain, makes it easier for manufacturers to perform recalls and make marketing claims about ingredients. But it also is just as important for sustainability, because any sustainability claims a brand makes about its products has to take into account its ingredient suppliers' operations too.
In Iowa's case, activists are taking issue with how commercial livestock farms are harming the local ecosystem, particularly the water supply, and public health. The governor doesn't seem to be receptive to the moratorium, but if he was, such a moratorium could put a damper on production and expansion opportunities for manufacturers that source their livestock from Iowan farmers. Iowa is by far the largest pork-producing state, so changes here could have a big impact on the industry.